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Oklahoma City Accepts Offer From Chickasaw Nation To Finish, Run AICCM

The unfinished American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City.
Brent Fuchs
/
The Journal Record
The unfinished American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City took another step toward finishing the troubled American Indian Cultural Center and Museum.

During Tuesday’s meeting the city council accepted an offer from the Chickasaw Nation to pay to finish construction and operate the facility. Mayor Mick Cornett emphasized the resolution is merely a formality, documenting the city’s intent to meet the requirements of House Bill 2237 that allows Oklahoma City to take control of the project from the state, The Journal Record’s Brian Brus reports:

Under the resolution approved Tuesday, the AICCM will be completed by the state’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services, but any capital costs beyond $65 million will be picked up by the tribe. The Chickasaws will also have the right to modify and approve the final plans for the facility based on value-engineering studies. Once the center is running, any net profits derived from AICCM operations after repayment of the $2 million annual contribution will be used to fund an endowment for future operations.

The half-finished museum sits prominently at the southeast corner of the intersection of Interstates 35 and 40. For two decades, Oklahoma has invested about $90 million in the museum that’s meant to tell the story of the state’s Native American tribes.

The commercial property near the facility will either be leased or conveyed to the Chickasaws for further development. That money will be used to manage and maintain the facility, and develop exhibits and cultural programs, according to Brus:

After the first seven years under the tribe, the parties will establish a task force to develop an ongoing operations plan. That plan may include an endowment or business improvement district, or BID, to help provide funding. “It’s a difficult project; we all know that,” City Manager Jim Couch said. “I believe this is a unique opportunity for us.” The original idea for the AICCM years ago was that it would feature several tribes, a point that White asked Couch about. Couch said city officials have been discussing those details with the Chickasaw Nation, which has expressed interest in maintaining the concept to some degree.

The city has until March 15 to finalize a deal with the state.

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